Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program: Hearings begin in Brisbane; former PM Kevin Rudd on witness list

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd will be called to give evidence at the Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program, which has begun hearing evidence in Brisbane.

His former environment minister Peter Garrett, whose department was charged with managing the scheme, has also been called to appear in person, along with former workplace participation minister Mark Arbib.

The $2.5 billion program was set up in 2009 by Mr Rudd and Mr Garrett to help ward off the effects of the global financial crisis by paying rebates to homeowners or installers of roof insulation.

During its roll-out four men died and hundreds of house fires broke out, many of them in ceilings where foil insulation had been incorrectly installed.

Former and current federal department chiefs and former ministerial advisers have also been named on a proposed witness list of 20 people for the first three weeks of a possible five-week hearing.

Among them are now retired Environment Department head Robyn Kruk and former Commonwealth coordinator-general, now Infrastructure Department chief Mike Mrdak.

Mr Garrett, whose department managed the scheme, will have legal representation at the commission.

Former Labor prime minister Julia Gillard has also been asked to provide documents, and it is believed other senior figures have been contacted by the commission, including current Opposition frontbencher Penny Wong.

They also face the prospect of being called to appear in person by Commissioner Ian Hanger QC.

Ms Wong, who was the minister for climate change when the scheme was rolled out, said she has not yet been asked to testify.

"I haven't been asked to appear before the inquiry," she told RN Breakfast.

"If I were, I would assist just as I'm sure other people will."

Labor leader Bill Shorten said his party supported any measures aimed at improving workplace safety, but pointed out there had already been several inquiries into the issue.

"There's already been a fair bit of work done there," he said.

"The tragedy is that four young men died.

"When it comes to workplace safety, we don't need politics, and everyone should cooperate with improving workplace safety."

Focus on identification, management of scheme's risks

The Abbott Government established the Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program in December and charged it with finding out whether the former Labor government was given any advice, warnings or recommendations about the program.

The commission will also investigate how advice, warnings and recommendations were identified, assessed and managed.

Lawyer Bill Potts is representing the family of Rueben Barnes, who was 16 when he was electrocuted at a home near Rockhampton in 2009.

"It is expected that the royal commission will hear evidence that both industry groups and the experts in this area raised at an early stage safety issues, both with the installation process and the training that was actually being given to the installers," he told AM.